Regional Differences
by FourTiredEyes
Summary: Axel is the pretentious son of a billionaire who has had everything handed to him on a silver platter. Justin is an intelligent but distant boy who has grown up in the real world. However they must put their differences aside in order to stop their world from crumbling around them and become the heroes that people expect them to be. Don't forget to R&R! -Cameron & Jake
1. Chapter 1: The Prince

"You can't stop me Freud… I am forever victorious"

Axel held his sword close to the man's chest, which was pounding furiously.

"Sir, please!" he exclaimed as the sword went through his chest, sending him sprawling out onto the floor.

"Looks like I win again" Axel smirked at his opponent's defeat.

"But sir!" Freud got up and took off his mask to reveal his sweat glistened face, "You said that I could win this fight!"

Axel turned around slowly, his face now emotionless "What did you say?"

Freud instantly began to sweat more and hunched over slightly as a sign of cowardice, respect and fear, "Nothing Sir, I said nothing…" he stuttered as he hobbled out of the fencing room and into the corridor, leaving Axel alone with his thoughts.

He stared into space for a moment before smirking again and muttering, "Damn right you did"

Axel walked out of the fencing room and into his personal changing room, which was garnered with a large mirror and a collection of various sports wear along with his normal clothes. He checked his phone for messages or notifications, and found four. The first was a code to win a free copy of some new video game *Message deleted*. The second was a text from his ex-girlfriend Kestrel who wanted to know if he wanted to go on a double date with her and her new boyfriend _Todd_. He shivered at the thought *Message deleted*. The third was from his father, which was obviously written by his aide, which said "Dear Axel, I will not be able to attend the memorial this year as I have a prior engagement that leads me out of town next week. My deepest condolences, Dr Grace." Axel balled up his fist in anger so hard he could hear the plastic in his phone began to crack. He did not care to read the final message, he only put on his clothes and walked towards the door as fast as he could.

Axel stepped out of his dressing room in his usual attire; a black suit with a white shirt and a blood red tie around his neck. He walked up the three sets of stairs that were required to get to the board room of ScytheCorp; the world's leading technology conglomerate. He checked in with the receptionist before quietly opening the doors and taking a seat at the head of the long, black table. "Now then ladies and gentlemen…" he got up from his seat and began to walk around the room, "I have gathered you here to discuss our profits from the last quarter, and how they disappoint me more than my own son" he slammed his fist onto the table so hard that it went red, "This is unacceptable! How can my colleagues, no…my only friends oversee such a thing as a small drop in profits? How can you be so selfish? How can someone be more selfish than me, the great head of this brilliant corporation? Well obviously it's possible, because my son does it all the time, the selfish little ingrate that he is! He doesn't seem to understand that a four hour long discussion about how much God damn money this company is making, is more important than his graduation, his birthdays, Christmases…" Axel had started to tear up, but merely wiped his eyes and carried on, "Or pretty much his whole life…"

Axel, now out of breath, looked around the empty room and down at his now bleeding fist, "Selfish…bastard…" He heard a knock on the large wooden doors, "Come in!"

The double doors flung open to reveal a girl with long, curled blue hair and purple handbag draped over her shoulder, who preceded to strut into the room, swaying her hips as she walked. "Axey-poo!" She strutted quickly in his direction and tackled him with a hug before pouting at him, "You didn't answer my text!" She looked down at his fist and then at the unoccupied boardroom, "Anger management again?" Axel nodded slowly before looking down at the floor, "Awww sweetie…" she lifted his hand to her mouth and kissed it, "I knew when the receptionist called me it must've been pretty bad… How about we go swimming for a bit? That always calms you down"

Axel smiled at this, as it was not the swimming with Sapphire that cheered him up, but rather that it would give him an excuse to see her in her bikini, and probably make out at the poolside afterwards. He nodded before following her out of the room, checking out with the receptionist and walking down the massive staircase that was needed to get outside.

After collecting his towel and trunks from his wardrobe he headed down to his swimming pool where he said Sapphire said she would meet him. "Sorry I'm late!" she tiptoed down the stairs to where Axel was waiting for her and planted a kiss on his cheek, "Little Swirly wasn't feeling too well…" Axel looked behind her as the small water-type waddled towards them, though it was almost completely out of breath.

"Poli…" the Pokémon groaned before simply falling asleep where it was standing. Sapphire let out an "awww" before pulling out a Poké ball and summoning him into it.

"Why do you even keep that thing?" Axel put his hands in his pockets, "It's almost always sick, and it isn't even strong enough to battle."

Sapphire sighed, "You wouldn't understand" She flicked his nose playfully, "You're too young! C'mon lets go get changed" she swayed off towards the changing cubicles.

"For God's sake Sapph!" he called after her "You're only a month older than me!" He laughed before following her into the cubicle area, choosing an empty one next to hers and locking the door. He stood, wondering for about a minute, "Hey Sapph?"

"Yeah?" she responded from her cubicle.

"Am I a good person?"

There was complete silence for about a minute, until Sapphire finally spoke up, "My mom always told me; everyone has the potential to be good, but they also have the potential to be bad. You have potential; let's just leave it at that."

Axel looked down at his hand, before clenching it into a fist and whispering, "And I fully intend to use it…"


	2. Chapter 2: The Pauper

The wind was ever so faintly blowing, and with it came the familiar smells of the small town. A sense of nostalgia that you could never quite forget. This time of year it was quiet, adding to the serene nature of the town, but the town is the centre of new beginnings, a bit like spring in fact… yes spring.

These were the types of thoughts that a young man in particular thought as his eyes were closed. The man breathed in though his nose, savouring the smells around him. His ears detected a new noise in the vicinity, His eyes shot opened and he scanned the area below him, the hill providing and excellent vantage point.

He spotted a couple of young teens, each with a pokeball in hand and an optimistic, hopeful shine in their eyes. "Must be some new trainers" muttered the man, whose eyes seemed to drop slightly, giving away how tired he was. He continued to look at the budding trainers with slight envy, until he shook himself out of his daze.

"Don't be so selfish" He scolded. Before he could continue to deny what he wanted, he noticed a couple of young rattata, probably recently hatched, playing in the tall grass area, the man couldn't help but relax at the sight, a soft smile ghosted his face. The rattata seemed to take no notice of him, perhaps they didn't see him as a threat. He continued to watch them for seemingly infinite minutes, before a shout from the bottom of the hill caused them to scamper away frantically.

"Justin!" the voice bellowed, the man on the hill turned around to his name to see a familiar figure sprinting up the hill to meet him. Justin simply smiled as the figure made their way up the incline. The figure was a girl around his age. Her short cut, jet black hair created a brilliant contrast with her azure blue eyes. Her skin was slightly tanned, complementing her muscular tone. She was wearing black fingerless gloves, along with a simple white, short sleeved T-shirt with a sleeveless dark blue jacket to cover it. Her slightly dulled out scarf, clung tightly to her neck. Along with her three quarter lengths and boots, she seemed to be going out somewhere far.

"How did I know you would be up here?" the woman breathed out, panting softly.

"You know me too well Marie" Justin remarked at his best friend, she smiled widely at first, but her face tightened at his tone, it was almost distant.

"You know you could go…" Marie muttered

Justin sighed "not this again, I've already told you enough" "I can't" he said the last part with a subtle intensity the signalled the end of the conversation. Unfortunately, that message went right over Marie's head.

"Why not!" she shouted in frustration

Justin was about to scream at her, tell her the reason why, but instead he kept his mouth bolted shut, he calmed his swaying emotions and turned to face her, standing up while doing this. He walked past Marie who was impatiently waiting for an answer. "I just can't" Justin mumbled.

Marie watched him walk back down towards the town, with a defeatist attitude in the way he walked. She sighed in annoyance and disappointment. "Can't blame me trying…"

Justin slowly opened the door to his home. His house was situated in the council estate area, the area was often avoided by most people and quite frankly he didn't blame them. It was overrun with teenagers and young adults with nothing to do with their lives. The only 'exciting' thing that ever happened here was the odd stabbing, and even then the local police took a half-hearted attitude towards it, so there was hardly any point.

These thoughts turned bitter in his mouth as his attention was drawn to a stack of unopened letters. He saw numerous job offers from local businesses. Deciding to look at them later, he began to prepare dinner for this evening.

Justin hard the door click, telling him that it was opened, he heard a gentle humming waft through the house like a good smell.

"Justin are you there" spoke a womanly voice

"Yes mum" Justin replied

The woman waltzed into the kitchen, she had brown hair that went past her shoulders, which swayed elegantly with every step. Unbeknownst to Justin, who was busy cooking, she had noticed the alarmingly large pile of letters. Picking one up, she saw that it was a job offer, for some company. She peered at her son with disheartened eyes; she could see what he really wanted, and it wasn't this.

She called him into the living room, in a ton that could not be ignored, not the Justin would ever ignore her. She half fell onto the slightly torn sofa, sighing as she did so. Not soon after Justin had strolled into the room, and sat down next to her, awaiting her words.

She pulled out an envelope, and wordlessly pulled out a hefty amount of money and shoved it into her son's hands. As she expected Justin had his objections.

"I can't…"Justin began

"When you were younger, you always used to talk about going on a journey" she interrupted. Not giving Justin a chance to speak she continued. "You have such talent for it as well, your grades tell us that. The amount of research you did on how to survive around Kanto was impeccable". At this point Justin was speechless, he knew where this conversation was going, but he couldn't find the will to stop it.

"I went on a journey too you know" she said suddenly, Justin's full attention was now on her. "The time I had doing that was the best time of my life" she continued pulling him into a hug straight afterwards. "Don't waste your life… please"

Justin was unable to find any words, he always used to, he always had an answer for why he couldn't go on a journey. He was actually amazed that one short talk, had caused him to almost completely change his mind. His mother gazed at him with soft, pleading eyes. These eyes told him to not worry about his mother, she will be fine.

After what seemed like an eternity, Justin finally gave his answer, an answer that put his mother fears at rest

"I'll go" he muttered. Lindsay heard those words leave her son's mouth and held him tighter, relishing this moment.


End file.
